Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls

We've been slurping lots of soup this Spring while the temperatures hover well below my chilly bones preference of 72 degrees. I hate to complain about 52 degrees, but, honestly. I'm shivering like a kitten in a Steve Martin movie. This is L.A. not New Hampshire. Where is my sunshine and technicolor blue sky?

But the soup needs a companion. Our potage is lonely. And so I play matchmaker. I've been inviting gluten-free roll recipes to come and play. I've been flirting with their quirks and grainy idiosyncrasies, trying to be a good host. Coaxing their prickly little batters into behaving. As in, taste GOOD. And I've had some almost there success. But nothing to brag about. Nothing blog worthy.

Until today. These rolls are a balance of whole grain flavor and softness. Just crusty enough. These were tender and lovely warm from the oven. Not gummy. Not heavy. Not too grainy.

Just right.

A pull-apart gluten-free bread roll begging for a slather.

GFG Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls

I based my recipe on my Delicious Gluten-Free Bread Recipe and used a unique blend of gluten-free flours to get the texture I like in a dinner roll- soft and tender pull-apart goodness you can serve warm (you know- to melt that slather of vegan butter). I used a little bit of hazelnut flour and some coconut flour to add flavor and moisture.

Turn your oven on and off briefly to warm it. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and sprinkle the cups with GF flour; set it aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and dry ingredients.

Add in the wet ingredients and beat until a thick batter forms. This bread dough is not puffy and stretchy like wheat-based dough, it is more akin to a sturdy muffin batter. Beat until smooth.

Spoon the bread dough into the twelve greased and floured cups. Even out the tops using wet fingers or the back of a wet tablespoon. Place the pan in the center of the warmed oven to let the dough rise.

Set your timer for 50 minutes.

At 50 minutes, turn your oven to 350ºF. (It should come to temperature within a few minutes.)

Bake until the rolls are golden and firm- about 22 minutes. Thump them with a fingertip- they should sound hollow. Note: If your oven is slow to heat, you may have to bake the rolls longer to cook all the way through.

When the rolls are done baking, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool a bit. Using a thin knife, loosen the edges of the rolls from the pan and ease the rolls out. They are tender when warm.

These bread rolls are a little bit crusty on the outside, soft and tender inside, and not gummy at all. I attribute this to finding the right dry to liquid ratio. Remember, Darling Cooks, weather (humidity) and ambient temperature affects the behavior of dough and batter.

If there's too much moisture and you've got a thin batter, add a sprinkle of GF flour to thicken it. And if the dough seems too dry and stiff (or does not look soft and happy because of flour substitutions you've made), add a little more liquid, a tablespoon at a time.

I tried to balance two needs with this recipe. My preference for a light soft roll, and my need for good taste and texture. That means balancing starches (which give lightness and rise) and whole grain flours (which impart flavor and heft). Too many whole grains create a heavy product.